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4.6 ★★★★★
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★★★★★ 5
If you want to write that best seller correctly, this is the book for you!
Format: Paperback
Plot & Structure is a thorough handbook for writers looking to improve their storytelling. Bell, as many already know is a successful novelist and writing coach. He simplifies complex ideas like plot development and narrative structure into useful advice, practical tactics, and interesting activities that we can all understand.
Bell's strategy revolves around the LOCK methodology, which stands for Lead, Objective, Confrontation, and Knockout. Not a new technique at all, this framework is intended to assist authors in crafting captivating story lines that hold readers' attention from start to finish.
Bell clearly emphasizes the significance of developing a strong lead character who propels the story forward, a definite aim that guides the plot, a confrontation that adds tension and drama, and a knockout finish that leaves readers happy but wanting more.
Clarity and order are two of the book's strongest points. Bell delivers his thoughts in a logical order, beginning with the basics of plot structure and progressing to more sophisticated themes such as subplots, pacing, and thematic depth.
Each chapter is illustrated with examples from popular literature and cinema, making theoretical topics more concrete and understandable.
This method not only enhances comprehension but also encourages readers to study and appreciate the workmanship behind their favorite stories. But Bell does this in a fun, and still factually correct manner.
Bell's writing style is both informative and motivating. He communicates directly to the reader, anticipating their worries and queries and providing encouragement with his advice.
His encouraging tone is especially helpful for aspiring authors who may be intimidated by the hurdles of narrative development, I know I was one of those.
Bell tells them that, while creating a compelling plot is difficult, it is possible with perseverance, effort, and a willingness to learn from failures.
The exercises at the end of each chapter are another standout feature of the book. These are intentionally created to put the concepts covered into practice, encouraging authors to explore various story scenarios, character motives, and narrative structures.
By constantly promoting active participation, Bell guarantees that readers not only absorb the material but also apply it.
This hands-on approach encourages creativity and experimentation, which are crucial skills for any writer trying to improve their art.
He makes the whole process fun to do, which helps one feel involved more than some dreary instructional how-to book that we have all read and forgotten.
Furthermore, Bell discusses frequent plotting difficulties and provides solutions to solve them. He addresses difficulties like predictable storylines, uninteresting characters, and drooping middles, offering practical advice on how to increase suspense, deepen character development, and sustain momentum throughout the novel.
This problem-solving part of the book is crucial since it provides writers with skills for critically evaluating and improving their work.
It dives into the psychological and emotional sides of narrative, recognizing that a successful plot is more than just what occurs, but how it affects the characters and, as a result, the readers. Bell urges writers to explore their characters' emotional journeys, claiming that emotional resonance is critical to producing a memorable and meaningful story.
Despite its numerous qualities, the book might have used more diverse examples, such as those from genres outside of Bell's area of expertise, contemporary literature, and indie presses.
While the emphasis is mostly on traditional narrative frameworks, some consideration of experimental and non-linear storytelling could have provided a more comprehensive perspective on the art of plotting.
Its thorough examination of plot creation, along with practical exercises and insightful suggestions, makes it an invaluable resource for anybody wishing to master the craft of storytelling.
Whether you're a new writer struggling with your first plot or an experienced author looking to improve your skills, this book provides the assistance and inspiration you need to create captivating narratives that keep readers engaged from beginning to end. Plus, you will have fun along the way too!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2024
★★★★★ 5
One of the best books about writing!
Format: Paperback
Each chapter offered valuable information. I can't praise it enough. It's simply one of the best books that I have read about writing. I have learned plenty, and I will apply it to my new novel that I'm working on right now!
Buy it! Read it! It works wonders! It's invaluable to my collection. If you're building your collection, make sure this book finds a place in your home. I have outlined so much. I have taken so many notes. I memorized elements of the structure. The author didn't take any break. He didn't stop surprising me toward the end.
Great work!
OVERVIEW
The author talks about the LOCK system for your novel.
L --You need to have a gripping Lead with whom readers can identify with. You need sympathy, likability, and inner conflict. You need to build an arc of your character breaking into his layers, so the lead changes by the end of the novel. You need to show it through action and show the moment of change.
O-- Objective, a goal your lead wants to achieve. You need to create a strong opposition, and put that opposition close to the lead. It might be a physical location, moral duty, professional obligation, life or death situation, obsession, etc.
C--Confrontation or simply said conflict that grows; stakes are raised higher leading to the climax of the story.
K--Knockout--final fight against opposition
You need three ACT structure:
Beginning (Act 1) , Middle(Act 2), Ending (Act 3)
Beginnings- You need to reveal the lead; hook the reader; create sympathy through those things that I have mentioned earlier. You need to create disturbance in his life that will move the Lead to Act 2 which is the middle, no return.
Middles- Raise the stakes; scenes are more tense; create more conflict and have a death hanging over your Lead (emotional death, physical, or professional, etc.) The customer is nearing the black moment. The Lead enters another door of no return.
Endings-Battle--tie those lose endings (some might contain sacrifice) 1. A final choice or 2. A final battle
Add a twist if possible.
If you follow the above and create a back cover blurb, you can go ahead and write your novel knowing it will not fail. Create an arc of the character that concentrates on the internal part of the character.
I like to create also two charts. One is for the Lead showing how the character is changing internally.
Another one, characters who play the parts in your novel divided into following categories:
Character, Description, Objective, Role, Secret, and Emotion Evoked.
You can add as much as you want in your never ending list.
Scenes- HIP- Hook, Keep it Intense, Prompt to another scene
Stretch tension! You need show instead of tell.
ARM- Action, Reaction, and More Action
Soap Opera-- don't resolve anything until the end, and you might want to end the scene with a secret revealed or a cliff hanging moment.
Complex Plots--Play with symbols or motifs; create subplots and integrate them into the main plot, or use parallel plots used so much in romance novels.
Or divide into sections; each section to contain the LOCK system and three act structure.
Some other things that I found valuable:
Flashbacks -- keep them short; create scenes out of them; use one HAD.
If your middle doesn't play well, do something unexpected like throwing a guy with a gun.
Unanticipate-- avoid cliches, create unpredictiable scenes, endings
If you present something in the story, make sure you use it later in your novel. If you mention the riffle on the wall, make sure it will play out in the future scene. You need to work backwards. You need to plant things, so the future scenes will make sense.
The author talked about SHUTDOWN. I have experienced it myself just after the conference. It happens when the writer is overwhelmed and can't produce. It's a phase that passes. I did have it for two weeks. I was just simply exhausted and overwhelmed. I took a break, and the passion came back.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2011
★★★★★ 4
Pretty Good... Not amazing.... But pretty good.
Format: Paperback
Before taking a stab at my first real story I have decided to read two books on the art of writing fiction; "Techniques of the Selling Writer" by Dwight Swain, and the book I am reviewing now, "Plot and Structure" by James Bell. While Swain's book was more of an all inclusive manual on writing interesting fiction, Bell's book is focused strictly on, as the name suggests, plot and structure.
What this book is not... This is not a 'how to write a novel' book; if you are going to just read one book on writing a fiction novel then "Techniques of the Selling Writer" may be the more appropriate choice. If you are looking for a book that deals with anything outside of plot and structure, this book will be of no help there either. This book is designed to be supplemental to an already moderately educated reader. If you read Swain's book first, then you will instantly recognize the principles of this book.
What this book is... This is a great book on, you guessed it, Plot and Structure. It's actually a fairly concentrated look into the subject.
The chapters...
Ch 1: What's a plot, anyway?
Ch 2: Structure: What holds your plot together.
Ch 3: How to explode with plot ideas.
Ch 4: Beginning strong.
Ch 5: Middles.
Ch 6: Endings.
Ch 7: Scenes.
Ch 8: Complex Plots.
Ch 9: The character arc in plot.
Ch 10: Plotting Systems.
Ch 11: Revising your plot.
Ch 12: Plot Patterns.
Ch 13: Common plot problems and cures.
Ch 14: Tips and Tools for plot and structure.
I found the specificity of this book very helpful with each principle being illustrated by a paragraph or so of a known author's work. Bell handpicks excerpts from authors varying from Dean Koontz to Herman Melville, brilliantly pulling text from these masters and showing us how they went about the relevant technique. This easy to read nature and well outlined subject matter means I will be using several of its chapters as a personal reference guide in the future. I'm certain it will keep me from making many of the mistakes beginning writers make and possibly save me weeks in rewrites.
I will say this though... "Techniques of the Selling Writer" is a better book and covers plot quite well too; so if you are only going to read one book on writing, that is a damn good place to start. If you want to supplement that reading further, "Plot and Structure" comes highly recommended.
[...]
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2010
★★★★★ 5
Have no fear!, or The writer's Victorinox.
Format: Kindle
You can't praise this book enough. There are a ton of how-to books out there, but this one really made a difference for me.
Think of writing as a journey through the woods: You set up, you get in the muddle, and you come out (hopefully) on the other side. When doing this, we try to use as many tools and resources as we can to make it to the other side, but most of the time you fail (or tools fail on you) and you end up starving or being eaten by some wild animal in the muddle of the story. What James Scott Bell wants you to have in clear is that the most useful tool you can have out there is YOU. And all of his tips, advice and excercises are aimed to one thing and one thing only: how to unleash and harness the power of your story (and survive).
It provides clear, straight-forward tools and tips, adressing many aspects of the writing process you won't find in many of them. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the study of plots and storytelling. Relevant examples that take in consideration a wide array of writer profiles, and Bell does not abuse with film examples (and most of the movies it references are also books i.e.: the maltesse falcon, the godfather, etc.). It contains useful excercises at the end of each chapter to help you put the tehcniques in practice and bring the best out of your learning experience. It really helped me overcome several issues I had with my novel-writing and opened my mind to a new scope on plot and str.. This is a wonderful book, written in the same gripping style that the author suggests to use, and with great success.
I think this is a wonderful book because it does not give infalible advice. To me that is very important. Let me ilustrate how I felt by giving you the following example:
(after developing content)
-Regular book: so just do This (and fail, miserably).
-Bell's book: Many writers had this problem before and by doing This you might also find a solution for it. In case That doesn't work, you could maybe try This, or come back at it again later on with a fresh view and give it another try.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2017
★★★★★ 5
Excellent resource
Format: Paperback
Two novel ideas ago, I had to put that one aside because I stuffed it to the point where the story made no sense. I intend to go back to it at some point, but for now, it's collecting dust.
Also collecting dust is my more recent idea. I started with an outline (of sorts), wrote and rewrote it a few times...only to get stuck on Chapter 8 or so. I didn't know where to take the story. This one will probably never get resurrected...but you never know.
Which leads me to one of the best things in this book: outlining with index cards. There's at least one other book touting this, but I'm sure there are others that do. What sets this one apart, in my mind, is his suggestions on how to set it up. This doesn't comprise a huge part of the book, but it made enough sense to me that I decided to give it a whirl.
Almost 50,000 words later, I'm still chugging along, taking into mind his ideas (I'd never heard it put quite this way) about doorways of no return (more on that in a moment). Sure, I've made some changes, throwing out cards, rearranging cards, adding cards. That's the beauty of this system: it's not set in granite. If your muse takes you in a way that's different from what you originally wrote, go for it!
Mr. Bell explains the doorways simply, at first, as transitions - from beginning to middle and then middle to ending. The first doorway gets your Main Character from beginning to middle; the idea is to create a scene where the MC is thrust into conflict in a way that keeps him/her there. With the second doorway (middle to ending), something has to happen to set up the final confrontation. It's usually a huge clue, a big piece of information, or a major crisis that sends the MC hurtling towards the conclusion. Mr. Bell explains these in greater detail, and I found his explanations quite understandable.
But there's more to this book than that. Mr. Bell gets into how to come up with plot ideas, character arcs, revising, plot problems and cures, scenes, and tips and tools. I wasn't bothered by his reusing some of the same good writing examples, but it may make you cringe or roll your eyes.
Other than that minor quibble, I think everything else about this book makes it shine as a writer's resource.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2006
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